SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors used to feast in the third quarter.
A staple of the franchise’s dynasty days used to be recurring runs after halftime, turning the fourth quarter into garbage time or rest time for their stars. This season, Golden State hasn’t been able to follow the blueprint of its previous championships in many regards, including the third-quarter success.
Tuesday night felt like the good ol’ days. Buoyed by a scorching hot third quarter when they outscored the Portland Trail Blazers by 22 points, the Warriors rolled to a 123-105 victory, their third straight.
The Warriors are off to a perfect 3-0 start this homestand. They also came back from a nine-point deficit after three quarters to beat the Timberwolves on Sunday, but Draymond isn't declaring that the Dubs are back to their dynastic ways.
"What you figure out is -- can the team withstand adversity?" Draymond said. "Quite frankly, this team has not throughout the season. You look at where we are -- we've done a pretty good job of withstanding it -- but there's time where adversity has hit and we haven't responded well to it. That's growth. That's the growth we wanna see."
Perhaps the poster boy of Tuesday night’s game was Klay Thompson. Just like the Dubs, he struggled mightily in the first half, going 1-for-10 before the break for seven points with four turnovers, while holding a -21 in plus/minus. Golden State offered little defensive resistance and lacked fluidity on offense en route to a 65-48 halftime deficit.
Then Klay came to life in the third, going 5-of-8 from the field for 12 points and hitting a couple of 3-pointers to ignite the crowd. He even hit a shimmy after splashing one through.
Jonathan Kuminga really provided the highlight of the night with his monstrous one-handed slam in traffic.
Golden State entered Tuesday’s contest ranking 22nd in the NBA in third-quarter net rating (-3.3) but flipped that narrative.
Aside from the offensive explosions, the defensive intensity also picked up after a toothless first half. The Warriors used a box-and-one defense on Dame Lillard at times and held the Blazers to just 7-of-24 (29.2 percent) shooting in the third quarter after they shot 50 percent in the first half.
Dame has been on an absolute tear lately, highlighted by his ridiculous 71-point outburst on Sunday. After the first quarter he had 15 points and Donte DiVincenzo thought Dame could be ready for another explosion.
"I said 'Damn, it’s gonna be a long night,'" DiVincenzo said. "I really thought that. I thought we were doing a really good job. Then I looked up and he had 15. That's what I said to myself. Everybody else stepped up and locked in. We weathered the storm and the second half was phenomenal."
With the extra defensive attention, Lillard only scored six points after intermission and finished with 25.
Jordan Poole (29 points) and DiVincenzo (21 points) continued to pile on points in the second half as Klay finished with 23. This marks the fourth time all season the Warriors have won at least three consecutive games.
DiVincenzo once again had a massive impact in the starting lineup while Steph Curry (leg injury) missed his ninth straight game. Donte went 5-of-7 from 3-point land and also spent a lot of energy guarding Dame on defense.
"He’s just having a spectacular season. I’m so happy for him," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "It’s been a perfect spot for him and a perfect fit for us."
Draymond (knee) returned to action after missing two games and going through a "setback" scare, and he looked vintage, scoring 12 points with nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks.
Steph scrimmaged with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors on Tuesday and could be nearing a return, so vibes are high right now at Golden State. At 32-30, the Warriors now sit in the West’s No. 5 seed by percentage points.
"These guys have done a great job of keeping our heads above water," Kerr said. "I think we can feel the finish line. We know Steph's gonna be back before too long, hopefully Wiggs (Andrew Wiggins), hopefully Gary (Payton II). We've got reinforcements coming and in the meantime these guys are doing a hell of a job."
